I have waited quite a while in anticipation of A-Fu's arrival back on the music scene , and she's definitely not one to make a quiet entrance. Despite her sweet demeanour and her soothing vocals , the singer-songwriter brings refreshing colour to the music scene with her collaborations with some of the biggest names in the music industry at the moment , and also with some much loved golden artists , such as Wu Bai in <wan mei qing ren>(perfect lover). I didn't know rock legend Wu bai had it in him to create lyrics and melodies so sweetly refreshing! Also check out her first single <Me n U> which is making it big-time on the KKBOX charts!

And in A-Fu's collaboration with red-hot producer skot suyama , he never fails to impress in her third single , <wu Xian du zi you>(unlimited freedom). For more of their collaborations , see <yue lai yue ai>(loving you more and more) also found in this album!

Once again, I'd also like to congratulate all the male artists who have been nominated for the 2013 golden melody awards; I've listened to every single one of the albums that they are nominated for and I have to say , they've had a pretty good run this year. However there still are a few who im adamant that should have been nominated for the awards this year. So here they are!

Nominee #1 : William Wei

Fans and the media were shocked that William Wei wasn't nominated for the awards after his long awaited comeback . The golden melody award winner for the best newcomer was assumed a shoo-in but just fell short. I felt that there were a lot of good stuff in that album and especially loved the use of guitar arrangement throughout the album and his voice in general. A little disappointed that he didn't get in after enjoying the album a lot , but there's always next year!

Nominee #2:Yen-J

I really enjoyed yen-j's third album ; and he's been really consistent if you ask me with all of his albums since his debut. His signature style of simplicity really came through and was totally captured throughout this entire album , and his innovative arranging , production and lyrical skills really brought everything together. I was shocked to find that he wasn't nominated as many of the songs from his album such as <temporary boyfriend> , <sneezing> and <no evidence> have become huge hits , scoring millions of views on YouTube and KKbox. The album really reflects on the purity of everyday life in such a touching and meaningful way , but also playful and refreshing at times that it is really hard for me to see why this album hasn't scored Yen-J a nomination. I believe that he deserves it just as much as all the other nominees and I hope that his newest album ＜好的情人> will face better results!

Nominee #3: Gary chaw

As a self professed Gary fan , I do have to be objective about this. But I really do believe that this was one of his best albums yet concept-wise. After not releasing a new mandarin album since 2010 , I would have expected a better reception to his album but disappointingly it wasnt really publicized that much. He only released two music videos for this album and I'm really really sad as I do think it was a really awesome album. After hearing his first single for the first time , I was over come with emotion ; his voice brings with it a kind of magic ; urging us to follow him and change the world. Each and every song is inspiring in its own way and the way that he created a really full image of what he saw as the <Hollywood zoo > ; with songs that reflected the darker side of stardom and others that provided a deep and meaningful reflection on life. I truly enjoyed this album and felt that he really put his heart and his soul into this album. It's a real shame he wasn't nominated but congratulAtioons for being nominated for the Asian pop weekly awards!

Nominee #4: Anthony Neely

This album was really the one that I enjoyed the most and was my absolute favourite of 2012 and one of my all-time favourites. When Anthony Neely said that his aim for this album was to create something that would last for years and for listeners to be able to find something new with every listen ; he succeeded 100% in this album. There isn't one song in this album I don't love ; and his concept is basically flawless. I love the idea of dreams and how it's been threaded throughout the entire album; he did a really good job on that. The lyrics are spot on for every single song and every song has me moved ; be it physically tapping my toes or nodding my head or emotionally moved in my heart. The album is a godsend for me and I am really really disappointed that this album wasn't nominated for the awards. Neely has been so consistent with his first two albums since his debut and I was shocked that even with the main control of the melodies and production going to golden award nominee skot suyama and talented producer zai zai that it wasn't nominated at all , not even for arrangements or production despite it being spot on in all areas . Well done to Neely though -I just hope that he knows that his hard work has paid off for his fans everywhere!

First of all , Congratulations to all the female nominees for the golden melody awards ; there is no doubt that all of them (Sandy Lam , G.E.M , Jolin Tsai , Lala Hsu and Jia Jia) are well-deserving of the award! However , I was disappointed when a few of my favourite albums of the year and the artists behind them were not nominated for this award. lets take a look!

Nominee #1: Rainie yangNow , the entire music industry has been rocked by Rainie Yang's changes especially since the release of her 2011 Album <Longing> , and in 2012 the release of her album <wanting happiness> shows her kicking everything into full gear. She even put in the effort to learn a new singing style which is very hard to master , and has been praised by friends in the industry alike for her effort and hard work. Each and every single one of the songs in her new album is well crafted , and full of her own ideas. Although her whispery singing style in this album may be soft , it loses in no way to other powerhouses by creating a heightened sense of emotion within the listener in every song. I have thoroughly enjoyed her new album and see no reason why it was not nominated. So well done Rainie for a wonderful album ; it's not much but I hope she realises that in the heart of all her fans she has made them very happy with her music !Nominee #2: A-LinThe media too have been all over the fact that A-lin was not nominated this year , and I totally agree with them. Long has talented powerhouse A-Lin gone unnoticed for critical acclamation despite the slew of golden hits that she has produced over the years ; and I am disappointed to report the same this year. I was especially excited to listen to this album after hearing that she penned lyrics for 3 or 4 of the songs and had input in writing some of them herself as well! Her vocals are always perfect in every single way , but this album I feel is different in that I can her HER-who she is coming out in this particular album. This album has created a much more intimate feeling than her previous albums , especially because of her penning of some of the lyrics , but just the way it was made I can see the love and effort put into it. For example , the demo clip for <woman in love> ; at the end of it as they sing together I can actually hear a smile in her voice ; so everytime I hear it , it creates another dimension to the song which makes me really happy. Although some of her lyrics aren't perfect as she herself has admitted , they are perfect in expressing the emotions that she feels , such as the loss of a friend in <purple rain> , where at the end I can almost see her crying as she stands there in the recording studio singing into the microphone. All these little details in every one of the songs makes it such a special and intimate album for me , and I am bewildered as to why she was not considered for this years' awards. So well done A-Lin ; you definitely have my vote!

Nominee #3: Bai An ANNI guess Bai An and Jia Jia are two of the most talked about newcomers ; having been counterparts to each other since debuting at the end of last year at the same time. Congratulations to Jia Jia for being nominated for the best female mandarin singer at this year's awards , but I also feel that Bai An too has a unique and special talent that should not be underestimated. From the first time I heard <是什么让我遇见这样的你〉, I've been enraptured under ANN's spell. Some may say she sounds like Stefanie Sun , but I for one have never seen a person so unique in their personality , singing style or ideas before. She truly follows her own path and I really respect that about her. Each and every song in her album is a true gem with bai An herself writing all the lyrics and melodies. Like A-Lin ; many of her songs reveal to the listeners parts of herself such as the aforementioned song , and also many of the others. I feel that she deserved to be nominated as much as any of the nominees as I continue to be enthralled by her voice and her words with every single listen.

Nominee #4: Lara LiangOut of all the female singers who I thought should have been nominated , Lara was the one I was most deeply saddened by when hearing that she wasn't nominated. Despite being Jay Chou's protégé in a way and being under his company JVR Music , I feel that lara hasn't been largely publicised and it really is something that I feel is very sad , as her album was one of the best that I had listened to in 2012 , or even one of the best albums ever. her concept of freedom that she used within the album taught me a lot using her own playful , simple yet meaningful style of lyrics which I have always appreciated. Each of the songs were beautifully crafted and every single one of them contains a lot of heart and a lot of emotion. The versatility of her voice in this album is too to be commended , as the way that she creates atmospheres and emotions with her voice is truly a wonderful talent which is very unique to her , despite her doll-like vocals. There really isn't nothing more to say ; she is a wonderful artist with her own ideas and things that she has accomplished within her album and I am really proud to be a fan because of the amazingness that is her second album. It is such a shame , but I really do recommend her album <free spirit> to readers who haven't yet heard of her!

Mayday is back with their newest single ; <people who are sad shouldn't listen to slow songs>. based on the title I totally agree with them! The song gives listeners a high which are signature of Mayday's music ; they totally embrace the heart of rock music without being too unlistenable. This current single is at the top of the KKBOX charts and has been for a while too! I look forward to more new works from mayday!

The results for the nominations for the 2013 Golden melody awards(that is , the best albums from 2012) are in! I am pleased to anounce that some of my favourites such as producer Skot Suyama , all the male nominees (jay Chou , Yoga Lin , Jam Hsiao , Khalil Fong and Xiao yu) as well as Jolin Tsai and lala hsu have been nominated for the big awards! However , I was a little disappointed that some of the albums that I felt were some of the best were not nominated.So I will be holding my own awards , where some of MY picks will be showcased , for Best Male Mandarin Album , Best Male Mandarin Singer , best Female Mandarin Singer and Best group. More updates soon! First up , Best Male Mandarin Singer nominations !